Worth



(No Model.)

B. KLE-INER, w. BOKMAYBRK; 0, HOF'FM'ANN.

AIR MOIS TB NING APPARATUS.

Patented Feb. 13,1894.

[MEMQ u my M5.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

. EUGEN KLEINER, WALTER BOKMAYER, AND o'rro HOFFMANN, on Mon- LING, AUSTRIA; HUNGARY, ASSIGNORS TO CLEMENT VINCENT HA- W'ORTI-l, OF OLDHAM, ENGLAND.

AIR-MOISTENING APPARATUS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,556, dated February 13, 1894. Application filed February 1, 1893. Serial 110.460,.535- (No model.) Patented in England August 5, 1892, No. 14,166.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EUGEN KLEINEaWAL- TER BOKMAYER, and OTTO HOFFMANN, subing is a specification.

This invention has been patented in Great Britain, No. 14,166, dated August 5, 1892.

The invention relates to certain improvements in air moistening apparatus intended for use particularly in the treatment of diseases, the apparatus being arran god in a closed chamber or apartment in which the invalids may for any desirable space of time and in any posture inhale the surrounding air properly impregnated and thoroughly freed from any germs of disease Without being obliged to handle any special inhaling apparatus or to put their breathing organs to any strain or fatigue.

The invention further relates to means whereby the air in the inhaling chamber before it enters the, apparatus is impregnated with an oil of the nature of ether fit to be inhaled.

The improvements consist in causing the air charged with the exhalations of the invalid who has been using the inhaling chamber to be drawn out of the chamber by a fan or other ventilating arrangement before another inhaling stage is commenced. The ventilator is then closed and fresh air from outside after being heated to the desired temperature (if the season or weather require it) by any suitable means is admitted into the inhaling room. After being heated to the desired degree the air can if desired be impregnated with vapors of a volatile oil and then caused by a sucking action to pass through a vaporizer in which it is washed or purified i. e. freed from pernicious germs; whereupon it may he simply humidified or impregnated with the desired inhaling medium in proportions not exceeding one hundred per cent. and

. then in a finely divided condition introduced into the inhaling chamber. It will thus be seen that the present invention mainly consists in first changing the atmosphere in the room by the use of a ventilating or suction fan, and then humidifying and disinfecting the air by the use of liquid which is vaporized or reduced to an impalpable spray, a current being set up to direct the air into and through this spray.

The invention will be best-understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is an inhaling chamber constructed in accordance with the present invention provided with the required apparatus and accessories in sectional elevation and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device we use to produce the air inducing and saturating spray.

The inhaling chamberk isa room or apartment of suitable size the walls and ceiling of which should preferably be insulated by means of a lining of hard cork while the floor may be covered with oil-paint so as to prevent it from absorbing damp air.

For the purpose of removing the air charged with germs of disease from the inhaling cha mber we arrange a ventilator or fan V on a suitable level in the wall of the chamber having found by experience that such deleterious germs always float in the upper portion of the room. Theventilator may be of any suitable construction and driven either by water power or by any other suitable means.

From the ceiling of the inhaling chamber is suspended an apparatus A adapted to suck in, Wash and humidify the air contained in the chamber and to impregnate it with finely vaporized water or any other suitable inhah ing medium. It consists of a spherical case B provided with a tube 0 on one side and with a cup-shaped extension D on the top in which is fitted the charging cone with its apex directed downward.

In the tubular piece 0 is arranged a double nozzle E for drawing in by suction the air either pure or mixed with inhaling medium from the vessel F. This double nozzle is shown in section at Fig. 2. The nozzle is supplied with water or liquid under pressure through the pipe M. Under the action of this nozzle a cone or curtain of liquid is formed which sucks in the air contained in the chamber and forces it through the liquid cone.

whereby the liquid is thoroughly vaporized While the air is purified, and impregnated with the liquid charged or not with medicine as the case may be. The mixture of air and liquid thus produced entersthrough the apparatus A in the direction of the arrows into the inhaling chamber. The liquid which is not absorbed by the air falls to the bottom of the sphere B and flows back through the pipe N into the reservoir.

When it is desired to incorporate a liquid inhaling medium with the air such medium may simultaneously withthe purifying liquid (usually water) be caused to pass through the nozzle E or the air in the chamber may be first washed with water and not impregnated till it passes for the second time through the apparatus together with the solution of the desired inhaling medium diluted in a predetermined quantity of water, that is to say the liquid flowing through the pipe M may be mixed with the proper medicine or other me-.

dium or the water maybe used alone first and then subsequently the inhaling medium be applied as hereinafter set forth.

To incorporate the vapors of a volatile oil with the air before it passes through the apparatus A there may be provided on the out.- side of the tube 0 a removable glass vessel F containing the volatile oil in question.

Within the tubular extension 0 there is provided a channel G supported by the lateral arms H. In the central part of this channel or groove G is placed a wick J of cotton or similar material, the lower edge of which is immersed in the oil contained in the channel G. From the lower part of the vessel F extends a thin curved pipe L reaching into the groove G. From the upper end of the vessel F a flexible (india rubber) tube 0 extends downward and terminates in a flexible ball P. When this ball is compressed a certain quantity of the volatile oil will pass from the vessel F into the groove G Where it will'be sucked up by the wick J by capillary attraction and caused speedily to evaporate. In this manner a means is provided for impregnating the air drawn in by the nozzle E through the tube 0 with the vapors of volatile oil Without permitting the oil itself to mix directly with the humidifying or impregnating liquid. By this method the air inhaled may first be heated to the desired temperature before it is impregnated with the inhaling medium and is thoroughly freed from impurities and germs and further that during the operation of the humidifying and vaporizing no condensation of the liquid contained in the chamber can take place while such condensation infallibly occurs whenever atmospheric air is directly introduced in the vaporizer through a tube extending outwardly. The drawing in of the air through the tube 0 can be checked or caused to cease at any time by closing down the cover a which is kept in the desired position by a counter balance I).

The apparatus above described permits of impregnating the air in an apartment with as much moisture or inhaling material as may be desired. Its relative humidity may be determined by means of a capillary hygrometer which directly indicates the moisture contained in the air or by means of a psychrometer the operation of which is based upon the measurement of the cooling effect of evaporation.

The ventilator V is first set in operation so as to remove the corrupted air charged with germs of disease. The ventilator is then stopped and if the air in the chamber has not been previously heated water is at once formed by means of a pump or otherwise through a pipe M into the apparatus A and into the nozzle E by the action of which the fresh air contained in the chamber is sucked into the said apparatus and as it passes is impregnated with the vapors of a volatile oil or an y othersuitable volatile substance, while at the same time it is freed 'from dust and any injurious germs it may carry. Being thus finely divided and impregnated with the inhaling medium it passes in the state of mist as it were into the inhaling chamber where itis breathed into the throat and lungs of the patients.

We claim as our invention- In combination, the casing O the spraying device therein, the casing B receiving the discharge of the casing O a liquid supply for the spraying device, a discharge pipe for the water in the casing 13, a valve for closing the end of the casing O, a wick support in said casing and a liquid supply for said Wick, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

EUGEN KLEINER. WALTER BOKMAYER. OTTO I-IOFFMANN.

Witnesses to the signature of Eugen Kleiner:

J OHANN LUX, JULIUS GOLDSOHMIDT. Witnesses to the signatures of Walter 1301(- mayer and Otto Hoffmann:

EDWARD QUICK, RICHARD IBBERSON. 

